Stine Jacobsen and Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY/COPENHAGEN – A Chinese university professor conducted genetic research without disclosing any connection with the Chinese military. The latest illustration of China’s search for military-civilian tech is how China taps into Western academia, particularly in the sensitive area of biotechnology.

Guojie, a professor at Shenzhen genomics giant BGI Group is also employed. The group, which has its European headquarters located on the campus of the university, funds numerous researchers from the university.

Zhang and a student he was supervising worked with a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) laboratory on research exposing monkeys to extreme altitude to study their brains and develop new drugs to prevent brain damage – a priority the PLA has identified for Chinese troops operating on high plateau borders.

Zhang and a PLA general co-published the paper in January 2020. The university “was not aware” that there were authors from Chinese military research institutes when the study was published. Niels Kroer of the biology department told Reuters via email.

Zhang said that Zhang did not tell the university about the link, as the university doesn’t require scientists to inform co-authors of scientific papers. This was confirmed by the university. BGI stated that the PLA laboratory study was not conducted for military purposes and that brain research is crucial for the understanding of human diseases. China’s government science academy claimed that the study provided civilian and national benefits to the Tibetan plateau.

Recent years have seen a rise in concerns in the United States about China’s integration of civilian and military technology. Universities also transfer sensitive technology to China which could benefit its military. Washington reached an agreement last month with the European Union to address the matter under a new technology and trade council. According to a U.S. Department of Defense report, China has been using biotechnology as a way of improving its military power.

Here’s a first-time report of the Danish incident. This shows how China has made biotechnology and military applications a major concern for universities across Europe.

European Commission claims it is working on guidelines to “tackle foreign interference” in higher education institutions. The 2020 Leiden Asia Centre report found that five European countries had raised concerns over the potential risks associated with research collaborations with China. Copenhagen is one of many universities that have been close to China for a long time.

Two large Danish foundations and Copenhagen University funded Zhang’s research. They said that they only discovered China’s military involvement after one foundation realized it was incorrectly credited with funding the monkey study. According to the paper, the work was funded both by the Chinese government as well as the military.

PET (Denmark’s intelligence agency) warned Danish universities that they were at risk of becoming unwittingly implicated in foreign military research. It also cited “a variety of espionage actions and other foreign interference” as well as a student who had coauthored 5G research with an engineer of a Chinese military college. It refused to comment on individual cases.

Zhang’s genetics laboratory is also part of the Chinese Academy of Science. Zhang stated that the Tibetan plateau high elevation had caused brain damage and death, which severely limited “national defense construction.”

Although the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of Denmark did not comment on the study at altitude, it said export control rules were in place for certain technologies that can be used to both civilian and military ends. According to the Danish Business Authority, most forms of gene technology do not fall under its export control.

Ministry said that it was conducting a comprehensive review of risks in international research collaboration, which will be concluded at the beginning next year. It is being led by senior university leaders.

In an email, Kim Brinckmann (deputy director of research and development at the University of Copenhagen) stated that universities will be subject to a review of their “ethical” and “security policy limits” in collaboration. This is expected to result in new regulations and a stronger focus on the risk.

He said, “We are proud to have Prof. Zhang… as one our highly performing researchers.” A question regarding how much BGI funding is provided by the university was not answered.

China’s foreign minister stated it was urging Danish institutions to abandon ideological prejudices, end baseless accusations, and smears, and that they should treat their cooperation in research rationally so as “to generate positive energy for bilateral relations and practice cooperation.”

ALTITUDE

The study was co-authored by Zhang and Major General Yuqi Gao (head of PLA’s laboratory for high altitude research), which also includes Wang Jian, Yang Huanming, founders of BGI. Reuters reported that BGI has also collaborated with Gao on research involving soldiers in Tibet, Xinjiang and other areas.

Two U.S. senators cited the report and called for BGI’s sanction by the United States in September as a military-linked firm. According to China’s military news agency, Gao’s research directly increased the capability of China’s fast-advance platoon troops to conduct training and combat missions.

China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences created a plan for four years in 2012 to help troops adapt and acclimatise to Tibetan plateau, which is low in oxygen. The plan stated that BGI had partnered with Gao to help soldiers arrive in Tibet, and to find genes associated to altitude illness. However, this does not effect Tibetans. Preventing altitude sickness was a way to manage border areas, where ethnic minorities are gathered. It also had a wide-reaching economic as well as political impact.

BGI explained to Reuters that research was conducted with the military University to determine the risks to the health of all those who work or travel to high altitudes.

A spokesperson for BGI said that the project, which used BGI’s technology, studied changes in the pathophysiology of human bodies at high altitudes. He said, “In China many military institutions… perform both civilian and military science.”

Gao stated in 2018 that high-altitude diseases “are the major reason for decreased combat effectiveness and damage to soldiers at high elevations, and influence the outcomes of war on highland plateau.” He also noted that in emergencies drugs can be used for rapid deployment of troops.

China’s military recently intensified live fire drills at Tibet following border disputes with India.

DEEP TIES

One of Europe’s most prestigious genetics institutions, the University of Copenhagen is BGI’s largest international partner in science paper count.

They have deep ties. The founder and chairman of BGI’s animal cloning program, as well two former chief executives at BGI, were both previously based in Copenhagen. There are more than 20 BGI-funded scientists and doctors at this university.

Kroer, the biology head, told Reuters that the university was unaware of claims that BGI had connections to the PLA. According to the university, Zhang’s salary was not paid by the university as a professor. This, according to animal rights activists, caused distress and suffering for the animals.

Zhang’s student was in China, and worked for BGI. Zhang’s research team did not participate in animal experiments in China but analysed the genome data, the university said.

Lundbeck Foundation is a brain foundation that was wrongly identified as funding the monkey brain project. A spokesperson for the Foundation said it “hasn’t supported this area of Zhang’s research” and did not have any information about the matter. Lundbeck claimed that Zhang informed them that he was working on genetics in ants, which could help explain human brain development.

According to the foundation, Zhang was asked by them this year to delete their name from the study. Carlsberg Foundation (OTC) Foundation, the third-largest brewer worldwide, stated that in 2016 it awarded Zhang a DKK4 million fellowship ($623,000). Reuters also reported that the foundation had incorrectly been listed as financing the project.

Zoological Research (Chinese journal) published the paper. The publisher declined comment.

Zhang sits on the journal’s editorial board. Zhang told Reuters that the mention of the Danish foundations in the journal was a mistake. He added, via email: “We didn’t spend any funding I received from these foundations for this project.” A correction was published by the journal in March 2021 that removed foundation names.

Lundbeck refused to comment on any potential impact of the discovery; Carlsberg stated that animal experiments carried out overseas must conform with Danish regulations. However, he did not address military involvement.

DEBATE INTERNATIONAL

University of Copenhagen closed a think-tank it ran with Shanghai Fudan University from 2013 to 2020. The University of Copenhagen stated that the University of Copenhagen had changed its overall strategy for cooperation.

Documents obtained by Reuters from Freedom of Information Rules show that the decision prompted a heated debate within the university about China. In August 2020, the university convened a meeting to review and discuss Fudan’s closure.

Jorgen Delman, China Studies Professor said that China has been engaged in “a strategic civil-military merger of research” and urged better screening for Chinese researchers. He also recommended consultations with Danish military intelligence in order to provide advice on areas of “risks or no-go zones.” He did not respond further.

BGI was the recipient of genetic cloning tech from Yutao, who in 2007 received her doctorate with a Danish team that had created the world’s very first pigs through a method called “handmade cloning”. The Chinese government praised her for bringing this technology to China. They went on to create genetically altered pigs to study neurological diseases in humans.

China’s National Science Programme said that cloned porks are a step towards chimeras. This controversial field is where China wants to be the leader in the world. Chimeras may include organisms made up of cells of two or more different species, which could be capable of producing organs that can be used for transplantation.

Du was elected vice-president at BGI Genomics Ltd in 2017 and has since been promoted to the Chinese Communist Party. She is also a delegate for its 2017 national congress. Her response to our request was not received.

(Kirsty Neham reported from Sydney; Stine Jacobsen was from Copenhagen. Edited and edited by Sara Ledwith